


Two In A Million

by hybryd0



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: M/M, mature for a little bit of sexual content at the end
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-22
Updated: 2014-10-22
Packaged: 2018-02-22 05:10:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2495657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hybryd0/pseuds/hybryd0
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Liam never really thought anything would come of his crush on Niall.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Two In A Million

**Author's Note:**

  * For [](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts).



> I'm so sorry this took so long. Without going into too much detail I've had a lot going on, but it's finally done. The prompt I picked was:  
>  Bakery Niam- Niall loves his sweets, but he might come specifically to Liam’s bakery for a little bit more.
> 
> Thank you to Aimee for the incredibly fast beta/britpick. The title is after the S Club 7 song and really kinda has nothing to do with the fic other than it's a love story and a love song, so yeah. Enjoy!

Liam sings along to the radio as he pulls a tray of triple berry muffins out of the oven. He’s got his favorite station turned on while he works on getting the first products of the day prepared for opening. There’s no one else in the store with him yet, which means he can act the fool all he wants without any witnesses.

He sets the hot tray on a cooling rack and then goes back to mixing the dough for for the super cinnamon cranberry raisin bread. It’s a recipe that his partner, Harry, came up with last year and it was so popular that it’s been a staple ever since. He still needs to fix up a batch of the icing that goes on it, as well as a few other treats he hasn’t baked yet, but there’s plenty of time for that.

Turn Down for What comes on and Liam can’t help himself; he starts to dance around the kitchen while he’s working. There’s nothing better to him than having a good time while he’s doing what he loves.

He shakes his arse as he puts a batch of pumpkin loaf in the oven, closing the door before pumping his fist in the air. Sliding the oven mitt off, he turns to put it back on the counter and freezes. Standing in the back door, leaning against the doorframe, is his employee and best friend, Zayn.

Liam blushes deeply as his friend grins at him. “How long have you been standing there?”

“Long enough to see your fancy moves,” Zayn says, laughter coloring his voice to match the amusement sparkling in his eyes.

“What are you doing here so early?” Liam asks as he tries to recover some of his dignity.

“Got that cake I have to finish, remember?” Zayn pushes off of the door and saunters into the room, obviously enjoying the fact he’s caught his mate in an embarrassing moment.

Now that Zayn mentions it, Liam does remember his friend telling him about the extremely intricate cake design before leaving yesterday. He wishes he would have remembered it before Zayn walked in on him dancing like a fool.

“Please, babe, you act like that’s the most embarrassing dancing you’ve done,” Zayn says with a laugh, “remember Niall’s birthday party?”

To say Liam remembers the night would be a half truth. He knows that he went shot for shot with Niall, after that there are flashes of a pounding bass beat and climbing on a table. He’s actually thankful he can’t remember anything else.

“Don’t you have a cake to work on?” 

Zayn snorts in amusement, but disappears off into his private work area. There’s still plenty for Liam to do so it’s easy for him to forget his embarrassment and focus on his work, at least until Zayn inevitably tells all their friends about it.

He’s just putting a batch of tarts in the oven when he hears a familiar knocking on the front door. There’s no stopping the grin that splits his face as he shuts the oven, starts the timer, and then rushes to the front of the store. There’s still an hour before they open, but Liam sees Niall waving sleepily at him from the other side of the door and doesn’t even hesitate to let him in, a sharp chill following Niall in before Liam can shut the door again.

“Morning, Niall,” Liam says cheerfully.

Niall mumbles something back as he shuffles over to plop into a seat at one of the tables. Liam continues to smile to himself as he goes back into the kitchen, grabs a plate, and puts two muffins and a cinnamon apple swirl on it. 

Niall has his head down on the table when Liam returns and the surge of affection he feels almost takes his breath away. He can’t help but look at the gentle flutter of Niall’s eyelashes on his cheek or the way his lips part invitingly. Niall’s hair is free of product and looks feathery soft and Liam has to resist the urge to run his fingers through it.

The plate makes enough of a clatter when Liam sets it down that Niall blinks awake, yawning big and wide as he sits back and stretches his arms towards the ceiling. He smiles sleepily up at Liam and mumbles a thanks as he digs in. Liam hesitates for just a second before he pats him on the shoulder and reluctantly heads back to the kitchen.

“When are you gonna make a move, mate?” 

Liam’s heart thuds so hard in his chest that he feels like he loses a couple years off his lifespan. He glares at Harry, who apparently came in at some point while Liam was out front with Niall. Harry just grins at him and continues to work on the icing they’ll need for several of their products.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Liam says, going over to check on the pumpkin loaf even though he knows better than to open the oven while something is in there.

Harry snorts, quite unattractively in Liam’s opinion, and waves the icing covered spoon at him. “You know exactly what I’m talking about. Why haven’t you asked him out yet?”

“Harry, I’m not sure this is the appropriate time to have this conversation,” Liam protests, “and you’re getting icing everywhere.”

“Oh no, you’re not wiggling out of this discussion again,” Harry says, dropping the spoon back in the bowl. He leans on the counter with both palms, possibly trying to look intimidating in some way but Liam is just horribly endeared. “When are you going to ask him out?”

Liam hangs his head and thinks about banging it against the counter. “Listen, just because he’s gay doesn’t mean he’s interested in me back, Harry.”

“No, he’s interested back because you’re you and he’s been smitten since you handed him that plate of Derby County cupcakes you made him the first time he stepped foot in here,” Harry replies in that tone of voice that Liam hates, the one that people have always used with him when they think he’s being slow.

Liam scowls at him and pushes away from the counter. “Don’t talk to me like I’m stupid, Harry--”

“Liam.”

“--I’m not stupid--”

“I know you’re not,” Harry protests in dismay.

“--but listen, if he was interested he would have given me some kind of clue. He’s given me nothing, not a single thing.”

Liam turns and goes back out to the front where Niall is polishing off the last of the cinnamon apple swirl. At some point while Liam was out of the room he must have gotten up and fixed himself a tea because there’s a half empty cup on the table and Niall looks a lot more awake. The smile he gives Liam is brighter, like the sun that is slowly peeking up over the horizon.

Liam’s heart clenches and he has to swallow hard. He’s had a crush on Niall since he discovered the uni radio station Niall had run back years ago. He’d voted furiously for Niall when he’d been a contestant to become the next big DJ (he’d forced Zayn and Harry to vote for Niall as well) and had followed along with the horrible debacle of one of Niall’s exes outing him in the worst possible way. And through all that time his crush on Niall had only grown stronger.

Since he’s actually gotten to know Niall now, actually gone to pub nights and birthday parties, well, Liam’s not so sure it’s a simple crush anymore. Not when his heart feels like it expands ten sizes when Niall smiles at him.

Some part of him has to admit the truth, even if it hurts.

“Earth to Payno.”

Liam snaps out of his thoughts to see Niall grinning at him, laughter sparkling in his eyes. He flushes, feeling his skin heat up, and picks up Niall’s plate. “How was it?”

“I don’t know why you bother to ask me that every morning,” Niall says with a playful roll of his eyes. “Everything you bake is amazing.”

Those words make warmth blossom in his belly and pride swell up. It’s one thing to have other people compliment his food, but it means so much more coming from Niall. He wants to bake for Niall for the rest of his life. He wants to find every recipe that makes Niall moan in that obscene way he has when he takes a bite of something he really enjoys. 

“Don’t look so surprised there, Payno. It’s not like you don’t already know that,” Niall teases.

Liam wants to say that it’s different coming from Niall, but he bites back the words. He takes the plate back to the kitchen and drops it in the sink. Harry is busy spreading icing on the pumpkin loaf and doesn’t look up even at the clatter the plate makes.

“Did you ever think maybe your heart eyes make you blind to his?” 

Liam rolls his eyes. “Give it a rest, Harry.”

Harry’s brows pinch together and he looks up like he might say something, but Liam is saved by Niall calling for him. Liam goes back out to the front to find Niall leaning on the counter waiting for him, sipping at his tea. He straightens up with a grin when he sees Liam.

“Hey mate, I have to head out, have a meeting before work,” Niall says, rolling his eyes because they all know how Niall feels about meetings. “I have a question before I go though.”

“What’s that?”

Niall bites his lip, looking nervous for a heartbeat. “I’ve got tickets for the Justin Timberlake concert tomorrow night and I wondered if you’d want to go with me.”

Liam’s brain grinds to a halt. He even stops breathing for a second. He can’t quite believe it, but it almost sounds like Niall has asked him on a date. That’s just crazy of course, it can’t be a date.

“I was supposed to go with Louis, but he’s punked out on me, so I thought maybe you’d want to go,” Niall adds quickly, like he doesn’t want Liam to get the wrong idea.

Liam’s heart sinks. He feels a little foolish for even entertaining the idea that Niall meant it as a date. He wasn’t even Niall’s first choice to go with to the concert.  
But it’s still a chance to go do something with just the two of them. Normally when they go out it’s a whole gang of them. He’s never actually done anything with Niall alone and he’d be a fool to pass it up, even if it doesn’t mean what he wants it to mean.

“That sounds ace, mate,” Liam says, smiling brightly at his friend.

Niall smiles back at him, that bright smile like the sun is shining from inside him. “Great! I’ll pick you up around six and we’ll grab a bite to eat before we go.”

“Perfect, I’ll be ready.”

They say their goodbyes and Niall heads out leaving Liam to go back to work. He doesn’t stop smiling for the rest of the day and his arsehole friends don’t leave him alone about it either. 

++++

Liam takes a long shower and shaves before he spends almost an hour in front of his closet trying to pick what to wear. After the third change he calls in Zayn, who gives him such a fond look of amusement.

“Are you sure this isn’t a date?” Zayn asks, voice teasing as Liam holds up a potential shirt and jeans.

Liam scowls slightly, exasperation coloring his voice. “Yes I’m sure, he only invited me because Louis backed out on him.”

“I haven’t seen you worry so much about what you’re wearing since that last date you went on,” Zayn says, still sounding more amused than Liam would like. He’s sprawled across Liam’s bed, grinning at him knowingly.

“Listen,” Liam says as he points the hanger at him, “you and Harry have to stop this. Niall isn’t interested in me like that and you two are just twisting that knife in deeper.”

Zayn’s grin drops off his face, his mouth twisting in a frown. “Liam--”

“No,” Liam says sharply. “if all I can have is his friendship then I’m going to take it and I need you two to respect that.”

Zayn sighs and looks for all the world like he’d like to argue, but Zayn is a good mate and he knows when not to make an argument out of something. “You should wear your black henley with these jeans,” he holds up Liam’s favorite pair of jeans. “Show him what he’s missing.”  
Liam almost protests, but then stops, because why not? There’s no reason not to wear clothes that look damn good on him. Zayn must see the decision in his eyes because he grins at him again and pushes himself off the bed. He claps Liam on the shoulder on his way out of the door and Liam pulls on the clothes they’ve picked out.

He just putting the finishing touches on his hair when there’s a knock on the front door. His heart kicks with excitement even as his stomach swoops with nerves. He has to remind himself it’s not a date, no matter how much he wants it to be and there’s nothing to be nervous about. It’s just dinner and a concert with a friend.

Niall’s distinctive laugh fills the apartment as Liam turns off the bathroom light and heads out to the living room where Zayn is smoking out on the balcony with the sliding glass door open. Niall is leaning against the doorframe while they talk, cheeks pink from his laughter. He doesn’t notice Liam immediately, which gives him a chance to take in how good Niall looks.

Niall is wearing a dark gray shirt tucked into a pair of fairly tight jeans with a black, button up jacket over it. His hair looks softer than normal without all of the product Niall normally uses to style it; instead it’s brushed back, the dark roots contrasting wildly with the bright blond of the tips. Liam kind of really wants to bury his face in it

He walks further into the room and Niall turns at the sound of his approach. The smile on Niall’s face brightens and seems to swallow his whole face. He looks gorgeous and there’s nothing Liam would like more than to kiss him, to taste that happiness on his lips.

Then Niall’s eyes trail down Liam’s body, slowly, like he’s taking him in. Liam feels hot all over, skin tight and prickly at the once over. If he didn’t know any better he’d think Niall is checking him out.

“Lookin’ good, Payno,” Niall says cheerfully, eyes finally back on Liam’s face.

Behind Niall’s back, Zayn wiggles his eyebrows at Liam.

Liam just barely manages not to roll his eyes in return. Instead he focuses on Niall, who is really more important anyway.

“Thanks mate, you’re not looking so bad yourself.”

The happy flush of Niall’s cheeks spreads down to his neck and Liam finds himself wanting to see just how far it goes down. He wants to chase it with his tongue, taste every inch of pinkpink skin. Liam’s mouth feels parched all of a sudden.

“Ready to go?” Niall asks, drawing Liam out of his brief fantasy.

“Absolutely.”

They say goodbye to Zayn and Liam grabs his black leather jacket before they head out.

++++

The restaurant that Niall’s chosen is nice, but not fancy. They talk about everything from football to music and Liam just feels swept away by the enthusiasm and love that Niall has for it all. He’s about a moderate level fan when it comes to football himself, goes to a couple of games here and there, watches the World Cup every year and all that, but when they start on the subject of music, that’s when he can match Niall’s enthusiasm. His love for music goes soul deep and as much as he loves Bun in the Oven, there are days he wishes he would have gone back to X Factor that second time, maybe tried to make a career of it.

“Don’t regret it meself,” Niall says, taking a sip of his drink. “I’ve talked to enough musicians and whatnot, seen what the industry is really like, and I think it would’ve chewed me up and spit me out.”

“I’m sure you would have been ace,” Liam says loyally, but he gets what Niall is saying. Being a solo artist seems really lonely to him when he thinks about it. He’s happy with the life he has, with the boys who have become an integral part of it.

Niall shrugs and spears a piece of steak. “S’not for me though, not really. I’m happy where I am, y’know?”

They finish their meals and then order dessert. Niall orders a piece of cheesecake with cherry sauce swirled artfully on it while Liam orders something chocolatey and then they split them so that they each get half of the other. It’s a very date-like move for a not-date, but Liam tries not to overanalyze it.

++++

The concert is magical. The way Justin Timberlake feeds off the energy of the crowd and then gives it right back creating a feedback loop that Liam can feel buzzing under his own skin. He doesn’t even hesitate to sing along to every song, his voice lost amongst the thousands of other fans doing the same thing.

For just a moment he wonders what it must be like, what it must feel like to be up there. He can’t imagine having all that attention, all that love thrown at him.

Then he glances over at Niall and his heart skips a beat, because Niall isn’t watching the man up on stage. His eyes are glitter every time the strobelights flash over them and the smile on his face is something soft and warm. It’s not a look Liam has ever seen Niall direct at him and it makes him feel warm from the inside out.

Liam finds himself swallowing hard and looking away. He can’t handle Niall looking at him that way, not when it doesn’t mean what he wants to to mean.

All of a sudden it’s too much. Being here with Niall and desperately wanting it to mean something that it doesn’t. He’s known all night of course, but it hits him suddenly like a right hook to the jaw.

“I--I’ll be right back,” Liam stammers, though he’s not sure it’s loud enough to be heard over the music.

Without looking back, Liam picks his way down the aisle back to the stairs leading up. He can still feel Niall’s eyes on him, but he doesn’t stop, just stumbles up the steps as quickly as he can. He needs space and room to breathe and pull himself together so that he can face Niall again.

He doesn’t get far before he hears Niall calling his name, obviously following after him. His emotions still feel too close to the surface, the raw wound of wanting what he can’t have throbs like a physical pain in his chest. For just a moment he thinks about pretending not to have heard him, it’s not like it’s quiet, but his good manners won’t let him.

When Liam turns around, Niall hurries up to him, cheeks flushed pink from the exertion of chasing after him. He grabs Liam’s arm and gently tugs him along until they’re in a slightly quieter area away from the concession stands and merchandise booths.

For a moment they just stare at each other in silence before Niall clears his throat and drops his gaze. “Listen, I, well, I may have lied to you.”

“What?” Liam asks, voice flat. The butterflies that have been in his stomach all night turn to lead and he feels queasy.

“Not like-not anything bad,” Niall says quickly, looking back up. His eyes are so bright and sincere that Liam can’t look away. “I, well, to be honest, I never invited Louis to come with me at all.”

“What?”

Niall shuffles his feet and grins sheepishly. “I never invited Louis. I, erm, I chickened out at the last second, ‘cause you went all quiet. I panicked, I wanted you to say yes.”

“I don’t - what are you saying?” Liam asks. He’s not about to assume he understands, not about this. He needs Niall to say it.

“I’m saying I fancy you quite a bit and this was all a grand scheme to woo you until I chickened out at the last minute and said that bit about Louis,” Niall says, the tips of his ears going red, spreading down his neck. “I understand if you don’t feel the same or whatever but--.”

“I do,” Liam says quickly, then ducks his head as he feels his cheeks heat up. “I’ve fancied you for longer than I want to admit, to be honest with you.”

“Really?”

The hopefulness in Niall’s voice compels Liam to look back up and he can’t help but laugh. They’re both acting like bashful teeangers admitting their first crushes.

“I’m sorry,” Liam says at the confused look on Niall’s face even as he’s swallowing down his own chuckles. “I just, we sound like such teenagers, man. In all honesty though, I would love nothing more than for this to be a date.”

The smile that breaks across Niall’s face is storm clouds parting to reveal the light and warmth of the sun in all it’s glory. “Yeah?” He asks softly, eyes bright.

“Yeah,” Liam says, reaching out to take one of Niall’s hands in his own, squeezing softly. “Now that we’re both on the same page, how about we go enjoy the rest of the show?”

++ Two months later ++

Liam almost throws his phone across the room as the blaring of his alarm drags him out of the deep, peaceful slumber he’d been enjoying. He’s so comfortable with Niall’s head tucked on his chin and their legs tangled. Even Niall’s perpetually ice block-like toes have become something comforting and normal rather than any kind of annoyance.

Niall shifts in his arms and whines, trying to burrow into him further as if he can get away from it. Liam turns the alarm off and shoves his phone under his pillow before snuggling back into Niall for a few precious minutes.

“Can’t you call in?” Niall asks softly, voice rough from sleep.

“Got that party this afternoon, remember?” Liam replies between dropping kisses to whatever skin he can reach. He feels Niall press a kiss to his chest in reply.

“Harry and Zayn can take care of it,” Niall mumbles, tightening the arm that’s wrapped around Liam’s waist.

“It’s a big party, babe. There’s all kinds of cake and things that need to be fixed.”

Niall hums against his throat. “S’what the rest of your employees are for, yeah? You need days off too.”

Liam is about to protest, but just as he’s taking a breath, Niall scrapes his teeth over his nipple and he almost chokes on absolutely nothing. During the weekday they both work, so Niall usually gets up and goes with him to the bakery for breakfast, but on the weekends Niall is off and every weekend he tries to persuade Liam to stay in bed with him, by any means necessary. He’s usually successful, because Liam is a pushover and he doesn’t think he’ll ever get enough of Niall.

“Stay,” Niall says, pushing the thigh that’s between Liam’s up to rub against his morning erection. He tilts his head up to suck warm, wet kisses across Liam’s throat. “Stay and I’ll let you fuck my throat and then I’ll fix us a proper breakfast.”

Liam snatches his phone out from under his pillow and speed dials Harry. Niall snickers into his chest and then bites him in retaliation when Liam pinches his side. Liam is right in the middle of a yelp when Harry answers the phone.

“Harry, mate--”

“You’re not coming in today,” interrupts Harry, stating it as a fact rather than a question. “I already scheduled extra people today for reinforcements.”

Liam feels a little bad that he’s made it enough of a habit that Harry is anticipating it, but he can’t feel too bad when Niall’s scratching his fingernails through the soft hair that leads down his belly. Mostly he’s just grateful because honestly the novelty of waking up next to Niall and being able to enjoy each other hasn’t worn off and he’s not sure it ever will, hopes it never does.

“Thanks mate,” Liam says and they talk shop for a few minutes, Liam making sure that everything is going to run smoothly in his absence.

He’s reminded of the issue at hand when Niall wraps his own around Liam’s dick and gives him a firm stroke from root to tip. Liam has to cough to cover up his shocked moan. He looks down to see Niall looking up at him, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“Sounds like you’ve got everything in order,” Liam says, nearly tripping over his words as Niall starts to mouth his way down Liam’s belly.

Harry chuckles. “Tell Niall I said to remember to breathe through his nose.”

“Harry!”

“Have fun!” Harry shouts and Liam can hear laughter in the background before the line goes dead.

Liam’ only has a second to be embarrassed that Harry knew exactly what is going on before Niall takes him into his mouth and his brain whites out for a second. He doesn’t think about work for the rest of the day.


End file.
